Joint



www E5, Q. M, HOKANSON JOINT Y Filed Jan. l5, 1937 -fqr n: ma

l INVENTOR. l mmm Pixels l flil.,

ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 15, 1938 yNits sarna JOINT Martin Hokanson, Duluth, Minn., assignor to Eidcm'lnc., Duluth, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Application January 13, 1937, Serial No. 120,349

4 Claims.

has special reference to such joints accomplished by the overlapping contiguous portions of the sheathing which may be sheet metal, such as used in refrigerator construction or the like, or

sheet material for other purposes.

The principal object is to form a joint of this character in such a manner as to prevent moisture passing therethrough by capillary action.

The invention, being particularly adapted for use in refrigerator construction and the like, it will be apparent to those versed in the art that much difficulty is experienced with such joints in the inner walls of a refrigerator, in that after a joint is formed the refrigerator is subjected to intense heat, ordinarily approximating 550 F. in the baking and finishing of same and which is apt to form slight irregularities or openings in the joint through which the damaging effect of capillary action will ultimately function in transmitting moisture from the inner surface of the wall to the insulating material between the inner and outer walls of the refrigerator, and to avoid which, is, obviously, another object of the invention, as well as avoiding the necessity of otherwise sealing the joint as by brazing, or the like, which is very expensive.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear in the following description thereof.

Referring now to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this application, and wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure l is a transverse sectional view of a fragment of the lower portion of a common refrigerator illustrating the application of one of the improved joints intermediate of the lower portions of the inner wall with the upper portion thereof. i

Figures 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 are similar views of modifications of the joint as it would appear in sheet metal or the like.

The adaptation of the improved joint to refrigerator construction is by the overlapping and crimping of the contiguous edges of the lower sheet metal sheathing I with the upper sheathing 2 to form a folded joint, and, while the simple overlapping and crimping of these edges is not considered novel, the particular form of same is that in which the invention resides, to wit; the shaping of one of the overlapping portions so that it will have a decided bead or bulge 3 formed therein, and which bead or bulge is preferably substantially centrally intermediate of the eX- treme upper and lower edges of the joint, thus forming a chamber or conduit 4 longitudinally of This invention relates to sheathing joints and the joint and through which capillary action cannot function as it is well known that capillarity only exists in a very narrow space. Thus in the specific joint under consideration moisture may follow as it ordinarily does downwardly upon the innermost surface of the inner sheathing of the refrigerator until it approaches the gap or seam 5 where, by capillary attraction if such exists, it is drawn upwardly until the chamber t is reached where such attraction is effectively broken and it thus becomes impossible for the moisture to continue about and through the joint into the insulation ti of the refrigerator between the inner and outer walls thereof; the outer wall being illustrated at l.

lt is apparent that any subsequent treatment or even abuse of such a joint in the finishing of the container would not normally tend to jeopardize the efficiency of such a joint.

In the other figures of the drawing, except that shown in Figure 4, the folds of the contiguous edges are slightly modified showing specimens of the joint which might be preferred though having no particular advantage one over the other, each, however, being provided with the bead or bulge longitudinally of the joint to break the capillary action of moisture.

in Figure 4.- a similarly functioning chamber or conduit B is provided by bringing the upwardly projecting free edge ii of one of the cooperative members in tightly against the body portion of the other member as clearly illustrated, which, obviously would prevent upward capillary action between the two members above the chamber or conduit t.

It is quite apparent that still other modifications of the joining of the contiguous edges of the material may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. In metallic refrigerator wall construction comprising spaced inner and outer walls having insulating material therebetween, and wherein the inner wall is subject to moisture, a horizontal folded joint in said inner walls wherein a relatively large longitudinal chamber is formed to break otherwise possible capillary action of moisture through said joint to said insulating material.

2. A folded joint for spaced sheet metal refrigerator walls having insulation therebetween, the inner wall being subject to moisture on one side, comprising overlappingly folded contiguous structed capillary action of moisture through said joint.

4. The combination with the inner wall of a double walled refrigerator having insulation therebetween, of a folded joint in said inner wall substantially parallel with the base of the refrgerator, said joint having a relatively large 1ongitudinal chamber formed therein to prevent capillary action of moisture therethrough.

MARTIN HOKANSON. 

